


I Promise

by peetzahjoe



Series: Pre-Midnight Swallows [3]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-01
Updated: 2015-05-01
Packaged: 2018-03-26 16:29:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3857338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peetzahjoe/pseuds/peetzahjoe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the story of the first time Riker had a nightmare about his father's death, which then led to many other events. (Set pre-Midnight Swallows & TV Cameras)</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Promise

**Author's Note:**

> Ages:  
> Riker & Jeff-12  
> Alyssa-15  
> Curt-19
> 
> That's all for now

Riker pulled his knees up to his chest, watching his dad round the corner of the mini-mart. He smiled slightly, wrapping his arms around his knees, thinking of songs to sing. He knew he needed to practice, especially since Jeff had convinced him to audition for the school musical, which was _Aladdin_ this year.

Riker decided on A Whole New World and began to sing into the empty car, a small smile on his face. He could just imagine Jeff giggling and singing along with him, insisting he be Aladdin since Riker's singing voice is higher than Jeff's. Though, that didn't matter much because Jeff didn't even _want_ to be Aladdin.

Then, Riker heard it. A few screeches and then a gunshot.

He immediately fell silent, eyes wide. He didn't even realize he was holding his breath as he watched a man run out of the mini-mart, holding a bag in one hand and what may have been a gun in the other.

Once the man was gone, Riker looked back towards the mini-mart, waiting for his dad to run around the corner in a panic to make sure Riker was okay. Then, he shook his head, eyes wide.

"No," he gasped out, throwing open the car door and jumping out. He ran into the mini-mart, not even caring that he had left the car door open. His eyes immediately were drawn to the body on the floor, blood pooling around it.

"No," he repeated, trying to reach his dad, but people were trying to force him back.

"No!" he screamed, barely registering the tears running down his cheeks and pushing people out of the way, adrenaline coursing strongly through his veins.

He dropped to the floor by his dad, a sob escaping. His dad looked back up at him, his breathing labored. Riker grasped at his dad's hand, trying desperately to keep them together.

"No, Dad, _no_. I love you," he sobbed, clutching onto his dad's limp hand.

"I love you too, kiddo," his dad said.

"I love you. Don't leave," Riker cried, but his dad didn't seem to hear him. Riker started to cry harder.

"No," Riker started to cry out repeatedly.

"C'mon, kid. Paramedics are here," someone said, grabbing onto Riker's shoulder.

"No!" Riker exclaimed, bolting upright on his bed, tears already rolling down his cheeks.

"Riker?" a worried voice asked. Riker turned, and then started crying harder, reaching out towards his best friend who had been staying the night since Riker had wanted him to.

"Jeff," Riker choked out as Jeff climbed onto his bed.

"What happened?" Jeff asked, arms wrapping around Riker. "I woke up and you were mumbling."

"B-bad dram," Riker coughed out, holding onto Jeff tightly. "Last week."

"I'm sorry," Jeff breathed, holding Riker tightly. "You wanna go to Miri?"

Riker just nodded, his throat too sore from crying to talk.

"Alright, c'mon, Rikey," Jeff said, getting up and dragging Riker with him. Riker allowed Jeff to pull him along as he started to hyperventilate. Jeff looked back at Riker as the hyperventilating got a bit worse. "Oh god, you're gonna puke."

Riker didn't have time to respond as Jeff pulled him into the hallway bathroom and flicked the light on. The bright light hurt Riker's eyes but he barely registered it as he leaned over the toilet and retched. Jeff let out a sympathetic sigh, one hand rubbing across Riker's back as Riker coughed over the toilet.

"You get it all out?" Jeff asked. Riker just nodded and coughed as he pushed away from the toilet and flushed it before washing his mouth out, tears still running down his cheeks. "Alright, let's go to Miri."

Riker just nodded, following Jeff and clutching to Jeff's hand. Jeff squeezed Riker's hand and Riker squeezed back as he continued to cry. They came to a stop in front of Miri's door and Jeff knocked before pushing the door open.

"Mommy," Riker cried as Miri flicked her bedside lamp on.

"Aw, Rike, what happened?" she asked, opening her arms. Riker immediately crawled up to her and curled into her side, sobbing. Miri looked over at Jeff, who had crawled onto the bed also.

"I think he had a dream about what happened," Jeff breathed, eyeing his friend in concern.

"Oh, baby, it's okay," Miri crooned, tightening her arms around Riker's shoulders and kissing the top of his head, tears welling up in her own eyes.

"I miss him, Mommy," Riker sobbed. Miri smoothed a hand over his hair.

"I know. We all miss him," Miri breathed, pulling Jeff closer to them as Jeff started to cry silently also.

"Why did it happen?" Riker asked, breathing becoming hard.

"I don't know, honey. It was cruel, I know," Miri breathed into Riker's hair as he sobbed into her chest.

"I want Lyss and Curt here too," Riker choked.

"Oh, honey, they'll be here later for the wake. They had exams at school," Miri said. Riker just cried, curling closer to his mom and feeling Jeff hug him from behind. Riker reached out and pulled Jeff closer.

"Don't leave me, Jeffy," Riker whimpered. Jeff sniffed, curling closer to his best friend.

"I won't leave you. Ever. Okay?" Jeff asked. Riker only nodded, his breath coming out in gasps again. Miri held onto both of them tightly, kissing the top of their heads as they all cried together.

Riker eventually fell back to sleep in Miri's arms, still crying. The amount of crying he'd done became apparent when he woke up due to the pounding in his head and the soreness in his throat. He looked around, finding himself back in his own bed with Jeff sleeping beside him. He sniffed once and rubbed his nose before climbing out of bed to head downstairs to the kitchen where he heard voices.

"How are you feeling, hon?" Miri asked when Riker appeared. He just shrugged in response, rubbing his nose again.

"Hey, c'mere, buddy," Curt said, holding his arms open for his little brother. Riker walked into Curt's arms and Curt pulled Riker into his lap, kissing the top of Riker's head.

"Where's Lyss?" Riker asked.

"Showering. She'll be down soon," Miri replied. Riker just nodded once, allowing himself to become wrapped up in his older brother, thankful they were close despite the seven year age difference. Curt hugged Riker tightly, lips pressed to Riker's forehead.

"Mom said you had a rough night," Curt said. Riker just nodded, not trusting himself to speak without starting to cry. Curt kissed his forehead. "It'll get better, buddy, I promise."

"I hope so," Riker choked out.

"C'mon. Let's go to the living room so Alyssa can sit with us when she comes down," Curt said. Riker nodded, allowing his older brother to pick him up. "You're getting skinny, bud."

"He hasn't been eating much since last week," Miri informed Curt, who frowned. Riker avoided Curt's gaze by burying his face in Curt's neck. Curt sighed and then carried Riker to the living room.

"Riker," Jeff breathed, walking down the stairs. "I got worried. I woke up and you weren't there."

"Sorry," Riker said.

"Don't apologize. It's okay," Jeff replied, climbing onto the cough to sit with Riker and Curt. Riker just nodded once, curling up on the couch between his brother and his best friend.

"Hey, Rike," Alyssa breathed as she walked into the living room and kneeled down in front of Riker. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "How you holding up?"

Riker just shook his head, closing his eyes as he tried not to cry.

"Hey, hey, Rike. It's _okay_ to cry," Curt breathed, squeezing Riker's shoulders. At this, Riker let out a loud sob, allowing the others to embrace him as he cried. He felt stupid crying. He'd been crying for almost a week straight, and he just felt stupid. Before this he hadn't cried in almost two years since he had broken his wrist when he was ten.

But here with Jeff, Alyssa, and Curt he figured he was allowed to cry as much as he needed, even if he felt stupid doing so.

"It's okay. We're here for you. It'll get easier soon," Alyssa crooned as they all held onto Riker as he cried.

Soon, all four of them were crying, though Riker was the only one hyperventilating. Curt and Alyssa kept kissing his forehead and hair while Jeff held his hand tightly.

"It's okay. You'll be okay, I promise," Curt breathed into Riker's ear.

Riker just choked out a sob, believing his older brother's words, even though they wouldn't be completely true for another five years.

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah, there's that. Riker would definitely not have been eating in the week since his dad died, and then the dreams/vomiting only make it worse.  
> And of course Jeff knows the signs of Riker about to puke. They've known each other since they were toddlers, and have definitely seen one another sick before.
> 
> Also, this is something I wrote during a Bio 1 lecture my freshman year of college, which is partially why it is so short. OHWELL.
> 
> Also, as you may notice, I put this in a series of "pre-Midnight Swallows". I have plenty of short stories set before and after the main story, so I'm gonna separate them out as I post them into "pre" and "post" :)


End file.
